I, like you, never liked Invicta. The brand was always derivative and sold itself too cheaply, the plight of so many fashion brands. Wearing an Invicta was an instant sign of rube-ery or miseducation and, like so many bigoted watch lovers along the line, the reaction was knee-jerk and cruel.
So here I go: I’m going to say that Invicta is on par with Seiko as an affordable piece for the beginning collector. Already have a few Omegas? Already once seen a Rolex outside of jeweler’s case? Don’t bother with Invicta. But if you’re browsing the web, looking at cool watches, you could do worse.
I base this on my experience with this Pro Diver, a “Swiss-made” diver with a Sellita movement which a bit small on my wrist but still a solid piece, especially for about $150.
Want to know what really pisses me off about Invicta? The “suggested price” they always stuff onto their pieces. Like Stienhart, another brand that talks a big game in your Sunday paper circular, Invicta pretends to be offering you a way to stick it to those greedy Swiss and their superior craftsmanship and design. What they’re really doing is trying to sell as many cheap watches as possible.
So why not take them up on their offer? Yes and no. It depends on what you want. Want something truly great and iconic? Pick up a Seiko Orange Monster. Want to make yourself happy for a few years? Grab a Speedmaster Professional. But if you’re a beginner in the hobby and you want to see what all the fuss is about, you could do worse than this one. If you can find an automatic Invicta for under $100 and you like the styling and you don’t have much watch experience, grab it, wear it, and resell it to the next wide-eyed, newly-birthed watch lover. After all, any company that dedicates itself to producing affordable mechanicals for a wide market is OK in our book.
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